


Newfoundland

by AK_Ruston



Series: Have Skates, Will Travel [7]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M, GKP, Newfoundland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 08:44:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19081549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AK_Ruston/pseuds/AK_Ruston
Summary: “It still doesn’t count in a hotel room, right?” she whispered to him, almost afraid of what was to come next. She didn’t really want all of their old feelings for each other to be dragged to the surface, but she wanted him and if she could only have a part of what they once had, then maybe that was enough for now.





	Newfoundland

**Author's Note:**

> So...y'all remember Newfoundland and the infamous Moir Tweeting? And the day after sex glow?
> 
> Mmm-hmmm

 

 

 

“So, are you watching the big game tonight?” Tessa asked as she bumped her shoulder into his as they were waiting to board the motor coach that would take the Great Kitchen Party group from Ferryland back to St. John’s.

 

She knew the answer already, _like he would miss it_ , but it was the only thing she could think of to ask as her window of opportunity was closing. She knew they would sit separately on the bus, and she was looking for a way to extend their time together. Today had been good. _Really good_.

 

“Virtch—” he started and then stopped and sighed. He didn’t want to cause any new tension by making a stupid retort. “You know it.” He grinned and bumped her shoulder back, causing her to lose her balance slightly.

 

She laughed loudly. “I think I’m still drunk from last night!”

 

Being around Scott the past few days had been fun. _Like old times fun_. He was less grumpy and uptight when his girlfriend was not in the same city as him. The friendly banter with Tessa had made a return, and they both felt at ease. That’s not to say things were great, but they were improving. It seemed every time they had a chance to spend some alone time together, they were able to chip more off the ice block currently surrounding their relationship.

 

He smiled at her goofiness and boarded the bus behind her. He had missed this side of her. It hadn’t been as prevalent in Mallorca. Or maybe it had, and he was just too busy to have noticed.

 

Tessa took an empty seat next to one of the guests and Scott slid into the seat across the aisle from Tessa. She raised an eyebrow at him; he hadn’t sat this close on purpose in a long time.

 

It was an hour drive to their hotel; Scott had closed his eyes and was listening to Tessa chat to her seatmate about the previous days’ activities and the plans for tomorrow. They had one more full day in St. John’s before they flew out to Japan, via a pitstop in New York City. His mind wandered back to skating yesterday; he did miss being on the ice with her. Skating had been good; good to have his hands on her body, good to be close to her body, good to have a reason to breathe her in.

 

She could hear him softly snoring; she smiled as she continued listening to her neighbour’s story about her dog chasing her kids into the lake last summer. It sounded so domestic. Tessa remembered her childhood having brief moments like that, but she was far from picturing that for herself as an adult. She had the lake, and that was enough for now. Kids and pets were not on her radar.

 

Scott felt her cold hand on his cheek before he heard her voice. “Scott, we’re almost there.”

 

He smiled at her without opening his eyes. He didn’t need to see her. He knew every freckle and line, every eyelash and crease. “Thanks, T,” he whispered. Despite his anger and desire to put distance between them, she still loved him in a way only she could.

 

*

 

He was feeling loose, having had two drinks with dinner, and wanted to return the softness she had been giving him on this trip. He picked up his phone and tapped out a quick message before leaving his hotel room.

 

 **Scott MOir:** I’m headed out to the Corner Stone bar to watch the game with some of the guys from the group. Do you have plans already or do you want to tag along?

 

She picked up her phone, not expecting to see a text message from him; they were a rare treat lately. _Thanks for the last-minute offer, Moir_ , she thought to herself as she rolled her eyes.

 

 **Tessa:** I’m actually feeling a bit tired. I think I’ll pass and put my feet up, watch the game in my room

 

Scott frowned as he read her message. He shoved his phone in the front pocket of his jeans and grabbed his jacket on his way out of his hotel room. He met up with the guys in the lobby as planned, and made it two blocks from the hotel before he bailed on the group. He turned and walked in the opposite direction, towards the nearest liquor store. He grabbed a fifty-dollar bottle of gin off the shelf and a two-litre bottle of tonic water and made his way to the cashier.

 

“You don’t have any limes, do you?”

 

The young cashier looked at Scott with a raised eyebrow, clearly labeling him as a Come From Away. “Not from around ‘ere, are ya buddy? Sorry, no limes. You’re gonna ‘ave to go to the grocery store fer dat.”

 

Scott swears he can hear laughter in the cashier’s voice, but nods his head in response. “No worries.”

 

Scott paid for his purchases and walked briskly back to the hotel. He missed the warm weather of Mallorca. Newfoundland, especially at night, was cold and he wasn’t as used to the temperature as he probably should be. He knew that was his own fault.

 

After a pit stop at the hotel bar for a cup of lime wedges that he charmed off the cute blonde bartender, he took the stairs up to his room. He knew he had to work off all the alcohol he had been consuming in the past two weeks. Running up the steps two at a time, he reached the second floor quickly. Once he was back in his room, he shucked his jacket off, and changed out of his jeans and into sweatpants. He pulled on his Detroit Tigers hooded sweatshirt over his t-shirt and stuffed the bottle of gin in the front pocket. The bottle of tonic water went under his arm and the cup of limes in his hand. Another two flights up and he arrived on Tessa’s floor. He scrolled back through her messages from earlier in the week when she had given him her room number after they checked in.

 

He found her room at the far end of the hallway and leaned against the doorframe. He tapped out a text message rather than knocking. He knew how she got flustered when late night unknown visitors knocked on her door.

 

 **Scott MOir:** You alone?

 

 **Tessa:** Strange question, but yes

 

 **Scott MOir:** Open your door. I sent up a surprise for you

 

Tessa was confused and intrigued as to what sort of surprise Scott had ordered for her. She got up from the sofa where she had been working on her assignment for the class she was taking, and padded over towards the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Scott standing in the hallway with his hands behind his back.

 

She leaned her head against the wooden door and took a deep breath. Tonight would be going one of two ways and she felt conflicted as to if she should let her head or her heart lead the way.

 

“Come what may,” she mumbled as she unlocked the door and held it open for Scott to enter.

 

“I decided I didn’t feel like going out either.” He held up the bottle of tonic water and the cup of limes.

 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t think I have any gin.”

 

“Check my pocket,” he smirked as he thrust the obviously sagging front pocket of his hoodie at her.

 

She pulled her bottom lip in with her top teeth as she fought back a grin. It had been over a year since they had sat in a hotel room alone together and mixed drinks. Scott always had a heavy pour and she knew they would be drunk in no time flat.

 

When she didn’t put her hand in his pocket he wiggled his eyebrows and took a step closer towards her. She obliged and reached in and pulled out the top shelf bottle.

 

“Nice choice,” she grinned as he pushed past her and into the room. It was identical to his, he noted.

 

“Only the best for Ms Tessa Virtue,” he chuckled as he put the cup of limes and tonic water down on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “I’m going to do an ice run. Think through the house rules, I’ll be back shortly.” He grabbed the ice bucket and her key card off the side table before waltzing out of the room.

 

*

 

“Every basket the Raptors get we take a drink. That’s it? That’s your only rule, Virtch?”

 

“My liver is already half-baked, Scott. We drank our way through Spain and now Newfoundland. Do you want to do a drink for every point? Or every time they say Kawhi or Leonard?”

 

“Okay, okay. I suppose we’re both in our thirties now, we should act like it,” he scoffed.

 

Tessa snorted. “You? Never. Pour us out,” she laughed as she pointed to the two empty glasses she had placed on the coffee table.

 

*

 

“Do you ever look up your exes?”

 

Scott turned to look at Tessa, a slight frown on his face. He didn’t know where she was going with this.

 

“Like on social media? To see what their lives are like.”

 

“No, not really. I hear updates occasionally from Mom or Cara. Why? Do you Insta-stalk poor old Ryan?”

 

Tessa looked down into her glass and swirled the liquid around in a circle. “I still follow them. Well, most of them. So yeah, I know what they’re up to.”

 

“You should just let them go, T. I don’t follow any of my exes on Instagram, nor do I look them up. Let the past be the past.”

 

“You still follow me,” she said quietly.

 

Scott sighed. _Here we go_. “You’re different Tess. It’s complicated with us. Cass is married with a family, Kaitlyn is happy doing her thing I’m sure, and Jess too. They were all stepping-stones in my life. They had their time and we moved on from each other. But you, you’re different. You’re my constant, my person. I can’t ever move on from you, T…and I don’t really want to. I know I’ve been an ass lately, but I want to try to make things work with—”

 

“It’s okay,” she said gently as she put her hand on his knee. I get that you are trying to juggle both of us. I just wish it didn’t hurt quite so much sometimes.”

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I wish this didn’t hurt so much too.”

 

*

 

“Where is our food?” Tessa whined. “I need to eat to balance out this alcohol.”

 

“Want me to call down and complain?”

 

A knock at the door answered both of their questions. Scott jumped up and opened the door. He returned pulling a cart filled with plates, metal covers hiding the food. “Dinner is served!” he laughed as he began passing her the plates.

 

*

 

“Try this fried quail, T. I promise it’s like chicken wings.”

 

Tessa wrinkled her nose. She was trying to be more adventurous. She couldn’t help that she stuck with what she knew. “Okay,” she sighed as she licked the barbeque sauce off of her fingers. She was going to reach for a piece but Scott was one step ahead of her and held a bite up to her lips. She made eye contact with him; they stared into each other’s eyes, not speaking for several minutes before she finally opened her mouth. She took a small bite and then nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Tastes like chicken,” she grinned.

 

“For once, finally I’m right!” he laughed as he fist pumped the air.

 

“Did you try the fried brussel sprouts?” she asked, pointing at the tiny green cabbages that had been fried until crispy.

 

Scott picked up two with his fingers. He shoved one in his mouth and one in hers before she even realized what was happening. He grinned as he chewed. _This is nice, he thought to himself. This is like old times. I missed her. Her laugh, her smile, her friendship. Everything about her._

 

*

 

Nearly half of the bottle of the gin was gone by the time the Raptors were in the forth quarter with a score of ninety-five points, the Bucks trailed by just three points. With a little over two minutes left on the clock, Scott was standing and shouting at the players on the big screen television and Tessa was giggling uncontrollably at Scott’s shouting. They were both drunk and would be hurting the next morning.

 

The Bucks missed Siakam’s rebound just as the clock ticked down in the final seconds, Kawhi Leonard got control of the ball and Scott pulled Tessa up off the sofa into his arms as the clock ran out. He was exuberantly shouting and squeezing her body against his in celebration of the Raptors’ win. She eventually wiggled out of his embrace and scurried off to the bathroom, the liquid having made its way through her system.

 

“Virtch!” he yelled as she returned. “You didn’t finish your last glass! Let’s make a toast!” He held out her glass towards her, sloshing some of the liquid over the edge.

 

“Oh my God, I can’t,” Tessa groaned.

 

“Just one toast, T, I’ll drink what’s left for ya,” he insisted as he spilled more of the drink from the glass.

 

She reluctantly accepted the glass from him and held it up in the air.

 

“To us…and friendship?” Scott asked tentatively. He hoped they were better than they had been. He knew that most of the tension was from him, and this was his olive branch.

 

“To Newfoundland for providing the backdrop to a rekindled friendship,” Tessa agreed as she smiled at Scott.

 

They clinked their glasses together, Scott downing the last bit of his gin and tonic and Tessa gingerly sipping hers.

 

“Back to Jess, what is she up to these days?” she asked, her head was already hurting, so why not flush this conversation out now. She put her glass down on the table, hoping to never drink another gin and tonic for the rest of her life. Or at least until next week.

 

“I dunno, still working on that cruise ship I think?”

 

Tessa snatched her phone off the coffee table and opened the Instagram app. She didn’t follow Jess; she had to search her name, but quickly found her collection of photos from around the world. Tessa was too drunk to notice she had accidentally double tapped one of the photos as she looked through them.

 

“You’re right, she does seem happy. Living her best life.”

 

“Are you happy?” he asked as he grabbed a chicken wing and took a big bite.

 

She knew she was a part of the ex-girlfriends’ club. It wasn’t a club she had ever wanted to be in though.

 

“I’m getting there,” she answered truthfully.

 

Scott tossed the half-eaten chicken wing on the plate and wiped his fingers on a napkin. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. His arms engulfed her tiny frame and held her tight against his body. “That’s not good enough, Virtch. I want you to be happy.”

 

“I know, I want you to be happy too,” she said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his hoodie.

 

“Let me make you happy,” he huffed into her ear, his breath was hot and heavy.

 

She shook her head, trying to resist him but failing miserably. “You have a girlfriend. We shouldn’t.”

 

“But we always do. You know that I can’t quit you and I don’t think you can truly quit me either.” He knew falling into bed with her had always been the easiest thing for them to do and the worst for them to undo.

 

Tessa pulled away from Scott and stood up. She held her hand out to him and he put his hand in hers, allowing her to pull him up off the sofa and towards the bed.

 

“It still doesn’t count in a hotel room, right?” she whispered to him, almost afraid of what was to come next. She didn’t really want all of their old feelings for each other to be dragged to the surface, but she wanted _him_ and if she could only have a part of what they once had, then maybe that was enough for now.

 

Scott’s eyes flitted between hers and the king bed behind them before the corners of his mouth pulled into a grin. “Virtue Moir rule number two: doesn’t count in a hotel.” He pulled off his hoodie and t-shirt in one swoop and tossed them on the floor.

 

Tessa’s eyes widened as she took him in. There was more to him than there had been a year ago, but he was still Scott. She followed suit and began removing her clothes and then climbed into the bed and under the heavy white duvet. She watched as he got in next to her, holding her breath until his hand landed on top of her abdomen.

 

His thumb flicked her belly button ring back and forth, tugging on her skin. Scott could tell she was tense and uneasy, he was too, if he was being honest with himself.

 

“T…if you don’t want to—”

 

She silenced him by rolling over and straddling him, his waist now between her thighs.

 

“Let’s make each other feel good,” she whispered.

 

*

 

“So, is checking social media after sex the new cigarette?” she asked as she watched him puttering on his phone.

 

“I was just posting about the Raptors’ win,” he mumbled as he scrolled through his Twitter feed. “Fuck these fans always saying I don’t work.”

 

“If it makes you so upset, don’t go on there. Just delete the app, Scott,” she sighed. He always got so riled up by the nonsense he shouldn’t be seeing.

 

“No, they think they know everything about us and me and the sport but they don’t. They know nothing, T.”

 

“Just stop reading,” she said softly as she put her hand on his arm, trying to ground him, she could feel the tension boiling within him.

 

“This is dumb. I don’t look like Ross?”

 

He held up the phone so she could see a Tweet, a side-by-side photo of Scott and Ross from the TV sitcom Friends, both with dark orangey complexions.

 

She reached over and grabbed his phone out of his hands.

 

“What are you doing?” he sighed.

 

 _I don’t know why I keep defending his grown ass self._ Tessa furiously typed out a response on his Twitter account:

 

_I can appreciate the Friends reference…but have you ever been to Spain this time of year? It is hot, the sun is shining and I happen to tan easily. Not sure what is so funny._

 

She shut off his phone and tossed it back onto his lap.

 

“Are you staying the night?” she asked, one eyebrow raised and her tone meant it more like a request than a question.

 

Scott surveyed the mess in her hotel room and sighed internally. _I’ll tidy that up in the morning_. He reached over and shut off the light beside the bed in response, pulling the duvet up to his chin and her body close to his.

 

 

 


End file.
